Following its debut in Australia in November and subsequent expansion in the United Kingdom last week, Apple's all-new GymKit platform for wireless workout data sharing between Apple Watch and compatible cardio machines has now officially arrived to New York City.
CNET reported today that this watchOS 4.1 feature is rolling out at Life Time Athletic at Sky
At the moment, 13 ellipticals, treadmills, stationary bikes and stair-climbers from TechnoGym work with the GymKit feature. Life Time is planning to roll GymKit out to 130 other locations over time, starting next year with locations opened in 2017.
GymKit will be coming to Equinox in 2018 via Life Fitness equipment, with a new New York City location being the first early next year. In Australia, 5 Fitness First centers will be GymKit-ready.
GymKit lets you connect your Apple Watch wirelessly to treadmills and ellipticals by tapping it on a piece of gym equipment. This lets the watch exchange data like your heart beat with the cardio machine you're using and receive data like incline and pace for more accurate calculations of the calories burned, distance travelled and floors climbed.
Your workout automatically pauses as soon a treadmill is stopped and all data is deleted from a piece of gym equipment the moment you stop using it. The data from the machine you're using shows up as a workout on your wrist, nicely labeled with the brand of equipment used.
CNET describes the experience of using GymKit: